Prague: Where Architecture Becomes an Experience

Prague is a city where an incredible variety of architectural styles meet within a small area. Gothic, Baroque, Art Nouveau, Cubism, and Modernism literally stand side by side. If you’re drawn to architecture, you can plan a walk that takes you from Gothic towers to modernist bank buildings – ending at the Špork Palace, home of Červený Jelen.

Celetná Street: Gothic, Baroque, and Cubism

Start your walk on Celetná Street. Here you’ll find:

• The House at the Black Madonna – the first Cubist building in Prague (architect Josef Gočár, 1912), now home to the Cubist Café.

• The Baroque House at the Three Kings, with its richly decorated façade.

• Gothic portals and Neoclassical houses, illustrating how the street evolved over the centuries.

Gočár and Modernist Prague

The name Josef Gočár appears in several places around Prague, but near Červený Jelen his influence is especially strong.

• The Legiobanka building on Hybernská Street (today a hotel) is a brilliant example of Rondocubism.

• And it was Gočár who gave Špork Palace its appearance as a bank building with a two-story vault. Its clean lines, functional features, and elegant proportions bear the unmistakable signature of one of the greatest Czech architects of the 20th century.

Pařížská Street: Art Nouveau and Big-City Style

Just a few steps from Old Town Square, you’ll find Pařížská Street – Prague’s own Champs-Élysées. It’s not just about luxury boutiques; it’s also an architectural showcase of Art Nouveau and Historicism. Notice the façades adorned with Art Nouveau ornaments, arched windows, and small towers that give the street its grand, cosmopolitan character.

Modernist Buildings and Arcades

A short walk from Celetná and Pařížská, you can also explore several modernist arcades from the First Republic era – such as Broadway Passage (architects Bohumír Kozák and Antonín Černý, 1938) with its clean functionalist aesthetic. These structures reflect a moment when Prague was embracing the modern urban lifestyle.

Špork Palace and Červený Jelen

End your architectural walk at Špork Palace, whose origins date back to the Baroque period. The building underwent a major transformation under Gočár, and the most recent renovation led by architect Stanislav Fiala gave it its current form. Fiala revealed the traces of time, blending Baroque elements with modernism and adding contemporary design. The result is a space where history and the present connect seamlessly.

Today, this is the home of Červený Jelen – a restaurant where architecture is part of the experience. From the iconic beer tank tower and monumental banking hall to the intimate private rooms, every detail of the space enhances the atmosphere of a modern Central European restaurant that welcomes everyone – from meat lovers to vegetarians and vegans.

Architecture You Can Taste

A walk through Prague’s city center takes you through centuries of architecture – from Gothic to Modernism. The perfect finale is a place where architectural heritage has been transformed into a modern space alive with gastronomy. At Červený Jelen, you can enjoy not just the food, but also architecture with soul.